Project: Redcap - User contributions [en]

Aura

2016-11-16T18:47:47Z

SteveS: added details on aura-levels

An '''aura''' is a region or area where the effects of one of the [[Realms of Power]] are more or less clearly noticeable, and is always aligned to one of these Realms. The strength of an aura is measured by its level (1-10), a higher level indicating a stronger aura. Level zero stands for the absence of an aura, which means that no mythical effect is in place, and that the local area is as mundane as it can be; at the opposite extreme, an aura score of 10 is as strong as possible and still be connected to the mundane realm: you are at the very gateway of another, un-Earthly, realm.

If auras of different Realms overlap, usually only the strongest and most dominant aura is noticeable.

== Effects ==

Auras always affect mythical effects and creatures, including the magical effects evoked by [[Magus|magi]]. While effects and creatures that are aligned with the same Realm as the present aura are supported, those of other Realms are usually impeded. Effects aligned to other Realms may not function within a contrarily aligned aura; likewise, creatures aligned to an other Realm may not be able to enter such an aura at all, depending on their [[Might]] score and the level of the aura, respectively.

== References ==

* [[ArM5]], p. 167, *183*, 189.
* [[RoPI]], p. *10*, 16.
* [[RoPM]], p. *7*.
[[Category:Magic Realm]]
[[Category:Faerie Realm]]
[[Category:Divine Realm]]
[[Category:Infernal Realm]]
[[Category:Rules]]
[[Category:Mythic Europe]]

Talk:Order of Hermes

2016-11-07T05:00:10Z

SteveS: Created page with "Where is the citation for "Enigmatic" OoH?"

Where is the citation for "Enigmatic" OoH?

Quaesitor

2016-11-07T04:57:55Z

SteveS:

A '''quaesitor''' is a legal expert and investigator of the [[Order of Hermes]]. The common plural form is '''quaesitors,''' but as an institution, the collective of all quaesitors are called the '''Quaesitores'''. This latter form ends in "es" rather than "s", and is usually capitalized. This usage is not explicitly explained, but may be inferred from the the Fifth Edition rule books<ref name="quaesitores">"Becoming a Quesitor," ''[[Houses of Hermes: True Lineages]]'', p. 39</ref>.

Quaesitors act as investigators<ref>"Investigation Duties," ''[[Houses of Hermes: True Lineages]]'', p. 62</ref>, field judges<ref name="calling_wizards_march">"Calling a Wizard's March," ''[[Houses of Hermes: True Lineages]]'', p. 63</ref>, legal counsel, and often mediators<ref>"Consultation and Arbitration", ''[[Houses of Hermes: True Lineages]]'', p. 63</ref>. While most quaesitors are members of [[House Guernicus]], many are from other [[Houses of Hermes|Houses]]<ref name="quaesitores" />. The quaesitors interpret and preserve the [[Code of Hermes]] and the body of [[Peripheral Code]]. They are accorded a privileged status in [[Hermetic Society]], and enjoy special legal and social privileges<ref>"Quaesitorial Duties and Powers," ''[[Houses of Hermes: True Lineages]]'', pp. 61-66</ref>.

In practice, it is nearly always a Quaesitor who calls for a [[Wizard's March]] (not to be confused with a [[Wizard War]]).

== Transitionalists ==
Quaesitors who believe the [[Code of Hermes]] needs to be revised or reinterpreted to properly govern the [[Order]] in the 13<sup>th</sup> century are called '''Transitionalists.'''<ref name="transitionalists">Traditionalists/Transitionalists," ''[[Houses of Hermes: True Lineages]]'', pp. 41-42</ref>. In particular, transitionalists believe the law-enforcement powers of the Quaesitores need to be expanded in order to enforce the Code in the face of corruption and political deadlock.

A list of the powers Transitionalists think the Quaesitores need may be found on page 42 of [[Houses of Hermes: True Lineages]]''.

== Traditionalists ==
Quaesitores who opposed the Transitionalists' efforts to expand the powers of their office are called '''Traditionalists.'''<ref name="transitionalists" /> They believe the longstanding rights of magi under the [[Code of Hermes]] remain very important, even if those rights sometimes interfere with law enforcement.

== Related Pages ==
* [[Peripheral Code]]

== References ==
<references />

== Legacy Page ==
The history of this page before August 6, 2010 is archived at [[Legacy:quaesitor]]

[[Category:Hermetic Law]]
[[Category:House Guernicus]]

Order of Hermes

2016-11-07T04:56:28Z

SteveS: /* Hermetic Society */

{{about|the fictional organization of magi within Mythic Europe|the second edition product of the same name|Order of Hermes Book}}

The Order of Hermes (also Enigmatic Order of Hermes or, informally, the Order) is the fictional organization to which [[Magi|magi]] in Ars Magica belong. All wizards in the Order of Hermes know a special kind of defensive magic called [[Parma Magica]] and nearly all can use a powerful, flexible form of magic called [[Hermetic Magic]]. Most of them speak [[Latin]] as a common language, enabling magi from across [[Mythic Europe]] to share magical [[Book | books]] and [[Spell | spells]].

== Hermetic Society ==
{{Main|Hermetic Society}}

According to [[Fifth Edition]], there are about 1200 magi in the Order (page 9, first paragraph). Most magi in the Order live in groups called [[Covenant|covenants]] but some prefer a solitary existence. In addition, there are also many [[redcap|redcaps]] that are officially members but are not wizards and are probably not included in that count.

Most [[magi]] reside in [[covenant|covenants]], each binding together a few members. Every [[Magus|magus]] of the Order also belongs to one of twelve [[Houses of Hermes ]]. Some magi also hold other political positions (such as a [[quaesitor]]) and/or associate with other Hermetic societies, cults, cabals, or so on. [[Hermetic Society]] is a complex thing.

The Order has its own legal system. [[Hermetic Law]] is based on the [[Code of Hermes]] and the [[Peripheral Code]]. The Order is governed by regional councils of magi known as [[Regional Tribunal|Tribunals]]. The Tribunals operate as courts of law, with the aid of [[Quaesitor|Quaesitors]]. While many cases are ruled based on testimony and evidence some situations enforce rulings based on voting, which means the most popular and/or powerful magus is right.

The tribunals are mostly democratic, with each wizard having one vote, as described in the core rules. The Tribunal books published for 5th edition each cover different variations. In either case this creates a lot of political squabble, as covenants, Houses, societies, cults, and so on vie against each other.

== History ==
{{Main|Timeline of Fifth Edition canon}}

The Order was founded in 767 A.D. by the twelve [[Founder|Founders]] under the leadership of [[Bonisagus the Founder | Bonisagus]] and [[Trianoma]]. Its magic and traditions are loosely based on the ancient Roman [[Cult of Mercury]]. A brief depiction of the Order's history is given in [[ArM5]] 9-10. The ''Houses of Hermes'' series of supplements further provides details on each House's history.

There have been four major crises in the Order since its founding:
*The war against the Spider, and the subsequent forming and later integration of House Ex Miscellanea.
*The attempt by Tremere the Founder to usurp control of the entire Order, ending in the [[Sundering]].
*The demonic [[Corruption of House Tytalus]].
*The [[Schism War]], a civil war within the Order which led to the destruction of one House.

;The War against the Spider
:[[Damhan-Allaidh|The Spider]] was a powerful hedge magician who had constructed an alliance in the British Isles. [[Pralix]] led the effort to destroy him. Eventually she succeeded, with the help of many hedge magicians. She founded the Ordo Miscellanea immediately afterward, which was a direct rival to the Order of Hermes. This tension was resolved in 817 when the Ordo Miscellanea became House Ex Miscellanea. A complete history of the Spider War can be found in [[Thrice-Told Tales]].
;The Sundering
:Tremere was the last of the Founders and his ultimate goal was world domination. His schemes had not yet come to fruition when, in 848 AD, magi opposing Tremere managed to shatter his power structure. The details of the [[Sundering]], including the magi responsible, have been left mysterious in 5th edition canon.
;The Corruption of House Tytalus
:By 961 AD, the practice of bargaining with, summoning, and attempting to control demons had become widespread in House Tytalus. A member of the House informed on the Prima, and House Tytalus was purged. This is known as the [[Corruption of House Tytalus]], but it is important to note that Tytalus magi have a very different perspective on these events, discussed in [[Houses of Hermes: Societates]]. To House Tytalus, the informer was the real criminal.
;The Schism War
:The [[Schism War]] was a civil war within the Order and the most serious crisis the Order has ever faced. House Diedne was cast out of the Order and Houses Tremere and Flambeau led the effort to destroy House Diedne. Many details of the Schism War have been left intentionally mysterious, including the degree to which House Diedne was actually guilty of the crimes of which it was accused. The war ended in the 11th century.

== References ==

* [[ArM5]], pages 9-10

== See Also ==

* [[Houses of Hermes True Lineages]] contains more information about the Order's law and politics.
* [[Houses of Hermes Book | Houses of Hermes]], the [[Third Edition]] supplement.
* [[Order of Hermes Book | Order of Hermes]], the [[Second Edition]] supplement.
* [[Timeline of Fifth Edition canon]] for a chronology of major events in the Order's history

----

'''Trademark Notice''': Order of Hermes is a trademark of [[White Wolf]], Inc. It is used here without permission and its use should not be construed as a challenge to the ownership of the trademark. [[Ars Magica]] uses the Order of Hermes trademark with permission.

{{Legacy|page=order_of_hermes}}

[[Category:Order of Hermes]]

Covenant

2016-11-06T15:43:19Z

SteveS: /* Kinds of Covenants */ Added "Chartered" covenant, expanded "House" covenant.

A '''covenant''' is a group of allied [[magi]]. The word "covenant" refers to the oath of cooperation and/or brotherhood they take together, but also (more commonly) to the group itself. In most covenants, the magi live together and share a magical library<ref name="ArM5Intro">''[[Ars Magica Fifth Edition]]'', p. 13, "Covenants"</ref>. Most covenants also have guards (called [[Grog|grogs]]) and servants ([[covenfolk]]).

The covenant plays an important role in most [[Saga|sagas]], providing not only a setting for story events but also a common interest for all the magi. It can become a kind of central character in itself: one that outlives any individual [[Player character|player character]]. The covenant thus provides the "home base" of the characters, and adventures can revolve around its interests. As all characters live there, its interests are the interests of all characters and the interests of the characters form the covenant's interest.

The conditions and facilities of the covenant provide the basic resources for character development - from the contents of the library that the wizards use, to the lavish (or miserable...) [[living conditions]] that the covenfolk enjoy. The covenant's abundance or shortage of [[book]]s, [[vis]], and wealth help define the rate at which character can advance in their [[Art]]s and [[Abilities]].

= Seasons =
{{Main|Season}}
Like characters, covenants can progress (or deteriorate) over the course of a [[Saga]]. Ars Magica uses the metaphor of [[Season | seasons]] to describe a covenant's life cycle, from the instability and rapid growth of Spring through the prosperity of Summer to the decrepitude of Winter.<ref>''[[Ars Magica Fifth Edition]]'', p. 68, "Covenant Seasons"</ref>

= A Typical Covenant =
The covenant typically houses a handful of [[Magus|magi]] (one for each player), an equal number of [[grog]]s, and about double that number of [[Covenfolk|covenfolk]] (servants, craftsmen, and so on)<ref>''[[Ars Magica Fifth Edition]]'', p. 71, "Baseline"</ref>. (In earlier editions of Ars Magica, covenants were portrayed as having larger staffs of warriors and servants<ref>[[Ars Magica Fourth Edition]], p. 206, "Buildings"</ref>, and many [[troupe]]s still prefer a grog-to-magi ratio of two or three grogs per magus.) Additionally, a covenant will also have multiple "Consortes" (singular"consors") aka "companions," (also one per player), who may or may not reside at the covenant but are associated or affiliated with it in some way. Almost every covenant has a shared library, and private laboratory facilities for all members of "full member" status.

Some atypical covenants have no shared library, with each magus claiming private ownership of books. Some covenants do not have enough laboratory facilities for everyone. Atypical covenants may be larger or smaller, or the magi might not live together, or it may vary in innumerable other ways from "typical" at the discretion and preference of the [[troupe]] playing it. These and other options and variations are discussed in the sourcebook, ''[[Covenants]]''.

Indeed the very baseline of "what is typical" can be set per-troupe, per-saga: a Troupe may decide that theirs is the ONLY covenant in Mythic Europe that actually looks by-the-book "typical" and all the others seem like oddball variants.

= Kinds of Covenants =

;House Covenants
:A minority of covenants consist of magi all from the same House, with some exceptions allowing for specialists from other houses to join or occasionally for social reasons. [[House Tremere]], in particular, has a number of House covenants<ref>''[[Houses of Hermes: True Lineages]]'', p. 115, "Coeris" (inset)</ref>. [[House Mercere]] calls theirs "Mercer Houses," and [[House Jerbiton]] is known to have covenants serving magi who wish to withdraw from Hermetic politics and pursue their visions of living a graceful life.
;Mixed Covenants
:Most covenants have mixed membership; that is, magi from more than one House. Most players' [[saga]]s are based in mixed covenants so the players can create magi from whatever Houses they want.
;[[Domus magna]]
:A [[domus magna]] is the headquarters of one of the [[Houses of Hermes]]. All domus magnae are House covenants.
;Research Covenant
:A research covenant is devoted to expanding Hermetic magic, often by breaking one of the Hermetic Limits. For example, a research covenant may be dedicated to breaking the Limit of Time and thus seeing into the past and future. Or, the covenant may be trying to break the Limit of the Lunar Sphere, and extend Hermetic magic to the surface of the moon. Lesser projects, like making increasingly better Longevity Rituals for magi or developing a Hermetic school to train large numbers of apprentices all at once, are also possible. Research covenants are an example of cooperation among Houses for the benefit of the entire Order. As such, they tend to be well funded and financed mixed covenants, but they have strong political ties and may be sabotaged by Houses which feel threatened by the research.
;Chartered Covenant
:Similar to a Research Covenant, a chartered covenant has a specific purpose, and tends to funded and supported by multiple other covenants, or sometimes Houses or even a whole Tribunal. For example, if a particular threat to the Order were seen to occur on some border, a Tribunal might establish a new Covenant on (or beyond) the border in question, to research the threat, to eliminate it, and/or to be a lightning-rod to draw the (expected) initial attacks.
;Chapter House
:A chapter house is a covenant which has been founded by, and may even technically still be part of, a larger and older covenant of the same Tribunal. Chapter Houses were first introduced in the Greater Alps Tribunal. Chapter houses are a way for covenants to get around onerous requirements for founding a new covenant. Technically, the chapter house is not a new covenant, it's an extension of the old one. So it does not need to meet whatever requirements are expected of new covenants. On the other hand, it is deeply indebted, and often obliged to obey, its parent covenant. As an example of a tribunal's [[Peripheral Code]], chapter houses are not recognized in all Tribunals. So, for example, the Rhine has them, but Provençal and Hibernia do not. Normandy's concept of liege and vassal covenants is similar to the relationship between a parent and chapter house, but more explicitly feudal.

= List of Covenants =
Timothy O'Brien has compiled a [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rqX80yCDqbnbfU8-_COwj0USyNoAxsO9anEScVNSUes/edit?usp=sharing spreadsheet of all the official covenants in Fifth Edition Tribunal books].

= Example Covenants =
Semita Errabunda is the official example covenant from Atlas Games. A PDF file is available on the Atlas Games Ars Magica 5th edition site [http://www.atlas-games.com/pdf_storage/Semita.pdf describing Semita Errabunda]. Also near the bottom [http://www.atlas-games.com/arm5/index.php of that page] are multiple PDFs containing 5th Edition statistics for Semita Errabunda's magi, grogs, and covenfolk.

[https://timothyferguson.wordpress.com/ephemera/ars-magica-ephemera/basic-design-notes-for-the-covenant-of-sabrinas-rest/ Sabrina's Rest] is a free, unofficial sample covenant for Fifth Edition designed by [[Timothy Ferguson]]. It is nominally located in the [[Stonehenge Tribunal]]. It is also available as a pdf, free online from [http://david.berco.online.fr/pages/downloads.page=012.html this location].

Four very brief summaries of example covenants can be found in the [[ArM5]] rule book: the spring covenant Vernus (p. 68), the summer covenant Aetas (p. 69), the autumn covenant Autumnus (p. 70), and the Winter covenant Hiems (p. 70).

''[[Triamore: the Covenant at Lucien's Folly]]'' is a full-length, 144-page supplement for [[ArM4]] that describes a single covenant in great detail. ''[[Mistridge (book)]]'' does the same for Second Edition rules. In both cases, the mechanics are somewhat out of date and would need conversion (especially for ''Mistridge''), but the ideas remain quite usable.

''[http://www.atlas-games.com/pdf_storage/nigrasaxa.pdf Nigrasaxa]'' is a free mini-saga for [[ArM4]] that contains a starting covenant that can be used in Fifth Edition with some manual conversion.

You can also find numerous fan-created example covenants in the [[Regional Tribunal]] pages:

{{Saga links}}

= Designing a Covenant =
Designing a covenant is a complex and time-consuming task that may be too challenging for new players. If this is your first Saga, you may be better served to start by finding an existing sample covenant and modifying it as you see fit. This is ''much'' less work and lets your [[troupe]] get more quickly started telling stories. If, later on, you have new ideas and want to create a covenant of your own, you can simply have the characters' starting covenant fail, break up, or get destroyed, and move the magi to a new covenant of your original design.

Rules for creating a covenant can be found in Chapter 6 of [[ArM5]]. The Fifth Edition ''[[Covenants (Fifth Edition)|Covenants]]'' supplement adds many more options, Boons and Hooks, ideas, sample characters and items, and so on, and is generally well-regarded, but is not strictly necessary to create a playable covenant.

= See Also =
* ''[[Covenants (Fifth Edition)]]''
* ''[[Covenants]]''

== References ==
<references />

{{Legacy|page=covenant}}
[[Category:Covenants]]
[[Category:Order of Hermes]]

Covenant

2016-11-05T19:27:44Z

SteveS: /* Kinds of Covenants */ Rearranged for information-flow

A '''covenant''' is a group of allied [[magi]]. The word "covenant" refers to the oath of cooperation and/or brotherhood they take together, but also (more commonly) to the group itself. In most covenants, the magi live together and share a magical library<ref name="ArM5Intro">''[[Ars Magica Fifth Edition]]'', p. 13, "Covenants"</ref>. Most covenants also have guards (called [[Grog|grogs]]) and servants ([[covenfolk]]).

The covenant plays an important role in most [[Saga|sagas]], providing not only a setting for story events but also a common interest for all the magi. It can become a kind of central character in itself: one that outlives any individual [[Player character|player character]]. The covenant thus provides the "home base" of the characters, and adventures can revolve around its interests. As all characters live there, its interests are the interests of all characters and the interests of the characters form the covenant's interest.

The conditions and facilities of the covenant provide the basic resources for character development - from the contents of the library that the wizards use, to the lavish (or miserable...) [[living conditions]] that the covenfolk enjoy. The covenant's abundance or shortage of [[book]]s, [[vis]], and wealth help define the rate at which character can advance in their [[Art]]s and [[Abilities]].

= Seasons =
{{Main|Season}}
Like characters, covenants can progress (or deteriorate) over the course of a [[Saga]]. Ars Magica uses the metaphor of [[Season | seasons]] to describe a covenant's life cycle, from the instability and rapid growth of Spring through the prosperity of Summer to the decrepitude of Winter.<ref>''[[Ars Magica Fifth Edition]]'', p. 68, "Covenant Seasons"</ref>

= A Typical Covenant =
The covenant typically houses a handful of [[Magus|magi]] (one for each player), an equal number of [[grog]]s, and about double that number of [[Covenfolk|covenfolk]] (servants, craftsmen, and so on)<ref>''[[Ars Magica Fifth Edition]]'', p. 71, "Baseline"</ref>. (In earlier editions of Ars Magica, covenants were portrayed as having larger staffs of warriors and servants<ref>[[Ars Magica Fourth Edition]], p. 206, "Buildings"</ref>, and many [[troupe]]s still prefer a grog-to-magi ratio of two or three grogs per magus.) Additionally, a covenant will also have multiple "Consortes" (singular"consors") aka "companions," (also one per player), who may or may not reside at the covenant but are associated or affiliated with it in some way. Almost every covenant has a shared library, and private laboratory facilities for all members of "full member" status.

Some atypical covenants have no shared library, with each magus claiming private ownership of books. Some covenants do not have enough laboratory facilities for everyone. Atypical covenants may be larger or smaller, or the magi might not live together, or it may vary in innumerable other ways from "typical" at the discretion and preference of the [[troupe]] playing it. These and other options and variations are discussed in the sourcebook, ''[[Covenants]]''.

Indeed the very baseline of "what is typical" can be set per-troupe, per-saga: a Troupe may decide that theirs is the ONLY covenant in Mythic Europe that actually looks by-the-book "typical" and all the others seem like oddball variants.

= Kinds of Covenants =

;House Covenants
:A minority of covenants consist of magi all from the same House, with some exceptions allowing for specialists from other houses to join or occasionally for social reasons. [[House Tremere]], in particular, has a number of House covenants<ref>''[[Houses of Hermes: True Lineages]]'', p. 115, "Coeris" (inset)</ref>
;Mixed Covenants
:Most covenants have mixed membership; that is, magi from more than one House. Most players' [[saga]]s are based in mixed covenants so the players can create magi from whatever Houses they want.
;[[Domus magna]]
:A [[domus magna]] is the headquarters of one of the [[Houses of Hermes]]. All domus magnae are House covenants.

= List of Covenants =
Timothy O'Brien has compiled a [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rqX80yCDqbnbfU8-_COwj0USyNoAxsO9anEScVNSUes/edit?usp=sharing spreadsheet of all the official covenants in Fifth Edition Tribunal books].

= Example Covenants =
Semita Errabunda is the official example covenant from Atlas Games. A PDF file is available on the Atlas Games Ars Magica 5th edition site [http://www.atlas-games.com/pdf_storage/Semita.pdf describing Semita Errabunda]. Also near the bottom [http://www.atlas-games.com/arm5/index.php of that page] are multiple PDFs containing 5th Edition statistics for Semita Errabunda's magi, grogs, and covenfolk.

[https://timothyferguson.wordpress.com/ephemera/ars-magica-ephemera/basic-design-notes-for-the-covenant-of-sabrinas-rest/ Sabrina's Rest] is a free, unofficial sample covenant for Fifth Edition designed by [[Timothy Ferguson]]. It is nominally located in the [[Stonehenge Tribunal]].

Four very brief summaries of example covenants can be found in the [[ArM5]] rule book: the spring covenant Vernus (p. 68), the summer covenant Aetas (p. 69), the autumn covenant Autumnus (p. 70), and the Winter covenant Hiems (p. 70).

''[[Triamore: the Covenant at Lucien's Folly]]'' is a full-length, 144-page supplement for [[ArM4]] that describes a single covenant in great detail. ''[[Mistridge (book)]]'' does the same for Second Edition rules. In both cases, the mechanics are somewhat out of date and would need conversion (especially for ''Mistridge''), but the ideas remain quite usable.

''[http://www.atlas-games.com/pdf_storage/nigrasaxa.pdf Nigrasaxa]'' is a free mini-saga for [[ArM4]] that contains a starting covenant that can be used in Fifth Edition with some manual conversion.

You can also find numerous fan-created example covenants in the [[Regional Tribunal]] pages:

{{Saga links}}

= Designing a Covenant =
Designing a covenant is a complex and time-consuming task that may be too challenging for new players. If this is your first Saga, you may be better served to start by finding an existing sample covenant and modifying it as you see fit. This is ''much'' less work and lets your [[troupe]] get more quickly started telling stories. If, later on, you have new ideas and want to create a covenant of your own, you can simply have the characters' starting covenant fail, break up, or get destroyed, and move the magi to a new covenant of your original design.

Rules for creating a covenant can be found in Chapter 6 of [[ArM5]]. The Fifth Edition ''[[Covenants (Fifth Edition)|Covenants]]'' supplement adds many more options, Boons and Hooks, ideas, sample characters and items, and so on, and is generally well-regarded, but is not strictly necessary to create a playable covenant.

= See Also =
* ''[[Covenants (Fifth Edition)]]''
* ''[[Covenants]]''

== References ==
<references />

{{Legacy|page=covenant}}
[[Category:Covenants]]
[[Category:Order of Hermes]]

Season

2016-11-05T19:25:07Z

SteveS: /* Spring */ Minor additions

Ars Magica uses the term Season to refer to two game concepts - the developmental stage of a covenant or character, and the period of time.

== Developmental Stage ==

Ars Magica describes the long-term development of a [[Covenant]] through the metaphor of '''seasons'''.
Some players use the season metaphor to describe the career of an individual magus. This usage is not [[Canon | canonical]] but it can be a useful model, and seems like a way characters might describe magi in the game world.

=== The Four Seasons ===

==== Spring ====

Spring covenants tend to be full of energy to the point of seeming frenetic or even manic.
This is because they have to be. Spring covenant are fighting for their very survival, working hard to establish themselves as haven of the safety... and also gain the surplus resources, beyond mere survival, that are necessary for serious studies of the Hermetic Arts.

Magi need months of uninterrupted studies to improve themselves. To achieve this, the basics (such as food, a place to live and the right to live there) must be secured... as must suitable material for studies.

Spring stories tend to be externally-driven: the covenant is forced to respond to threats from outside, or forced to go beyond its own established sphere of influence, in order to lay the groundwork for growth.

Perhaps someone disputes the the covenant's rights to some source of income, or demands payment of taxes/tribute/rent for the location of the covenant buildings. Magi from other covenants test the magi with respect to how far they are willing to go to keep their meager resources, be they gold or Vis. Stories about Hermetic politics tend to center around some covenant or other taking advantage of the spring covenant (which must then be fought off politically) or about the spring covenant being offered bargains that they may well live to regret, be it resources they need in return for their votes on a particular subject, or offers to support them politically against the 'big bully' in return for future favors - or more vis/tractatii than they really feel they can afford.

==== Summer ====

The Summer of a covenant's life can be by comparison introspective, or outward-turning. The most direct and pressing needs are taken care of. Magi can assume that day-to-day needs aren't going to require they personal exalted attention. Attention turns away from mere survival; some turn to self-discovery and personal growth, some to outward expansion.

On the one hand, you may for the first time have the leisure to realize that your fellow covenant member is a repulsive manipulative toad of a person, despite his fair exterior, and that while you needed him during spring, perhaps you are less than happy to spend the rest of your life within reach of his coils. Perhaps the difference is simply one of vision - how is this covenant supposed to be lead.

This is also the time for magi & covenants concerned with power to expand - Arts are still low enough that progress is fast, surplus typically exists to aquire new books or expand Vis in the creation of devices. Summer is often the time for grand projects: The short term shortages of Spring are in the past and the magi are expanding; the sky's the only limit in sight!

Typically this is when magi start taking apprentices and binding familiars - suddenly the covenant is full of individuals of significant mystical power, yet weaker than the main magi.

Of course not all magi will pursue raw power, but the surplus that make such studies possible also allow magi with other interests to pursue their fascinations. Perhaps the Jerbiton magus studies finesse for a few years in order to become a sculptor of the highest order? Perhaps the Trianomite starts visiting every covenant in the tribunal (or in the entire Order!) to find allies and tie the Order together?

==== Autumn ====

Summer cannot last, alas. Autumn is a sobering time for most magi. Arts and abilities are high enough that improving them take significant effort. The sky may well be the limit but it still feels awfully close!

The covenant is powerful enough that it has few direct enemies save for political rivals. Indeed many magi throw themselves into politics at this stage of life if not sooner.

Autumn agan focuses outwards but from very different reasons and indeed with different aims, compared to Spring.
Autumn knows survival is garanteed but only if those upstarts do not steal necessary resources!
Thus Autumn is moved to control and politcal maneuvering. Let young energetic magi deal with the problems - or atleast we can see what kinds of problems they are from how the young ones are beaten back!

Indeed many Autumn stories spring from fear. Fear of Death and fear of loss of control - the same thing to the mind of many autumn magi!

Many of the Spring plots return but seen from the other side of the coin - now Autumn must offer bad bargains to Spring to stave them off and keep as much power as possible!

Autumn is also the point where Longevity Rituals can be expected to start failing - something that can potentially cost huge amounts of Vis and even tip a character (or even a whole covenant!) into Winter.

=== Winter ===

Even Autumn cannot last and even Autumn will be missed by those beyond it.
Entering Winter means you've 'won'. Nothing the world has thrown at you have managed to kill you!
Yet Winter is a sad season. Winter means that loss outpaces gain.
In the winter every victory bears the tinge of loss.

Perhaps the Magi are too afraid of final Twilight to cast spells. Perhaps they are so obsessed with their projects to care about or even notice the loss of things around them.
Perhaps they are simply so mad that they do more harm to the covenant than good - intentionally or not.

Stories about young magi arriving at a winter covenant and trying to turn things around are only truely winter stories if they fail - if they succed it is a form of spring story!

== Time Period ==

Another use of the term is to depict a period of time in the game. Each Season, in this sense, usually proceeds from one solstice/equinox to the next, definign the traditional four astronomical seasons. Characters are advanced one season at a time, gaining experience and accomplishing deeds (and accruing decrepitude, aging, and so on).

However, this concept of Season is also taken to a more abstract level, to represent the amount of time someone devotes to a particular task. Thus, a peasant may have one free Season per year to do with as he pleases mechanically, but this doesn't mean that he genuianly takes the season off. Rather, it is meant to mechanically represent the peasant devoting time throughout the year to pursue his interests.

The Seasons are typically set according to the astrological, rather than climatic, periods in order to accomodate magi. Magi genuinly need to take the effect of the stars into consideration in their lab work, and so the astrological seasons are of greater significance than the agricultural ones in the game.

== References ==

*"Seasonal Characters" in [[Hermes Portal]] Issue 5
=== Legacy Page ===
The history of this page before August 6, 2010 is archived at [[Legacy:season]]

Season

2016-11-05T19:16:20Z

SteveS: /* Summer */ Rearranged section, with minor additions. Fixed several typo's.

Ars Magica uses the term Season to refer to two game concepts - the developmental stage of a covenant or character, and the period of time.

== Developmental Stage ==

Ars Magica describes the long-term development of a [[Covenant]] through the metaphor of '''seasons'''.
Some players use the season metaphor to describe the career of an individual magus. This usage is not [[Canon | canonical]] but it can be a useful model, and seems like a way characters might describe magi in the game world.

=== The Four Seasons ===

==== Spring ====

Spring covenants tend to be full of energy to the point of seeming frentic or even manic.
This is because they have to. Spring covenant are fghtng for their very survival, working hard to establish themselves as haven of the safety and surplus that are necessary for serious studes of the Hermetic Arts.

Magi need months of uninterupted studies to improve themselves. To achieve this, the basics (such as food, a place to live and the right to live there) must be secured, as must suitable material for studies.

Spring stories tend to be external - forced upon the covenant from outside. Someone disputes the the covenant's rights to some source of income or demand payment of taxes/tribute/rent for the location of the covenant buildings. Magi from other covenants test the magi with respect to how far they are willing to go to keep their meager resources, be they gold or Vis. Stories about Hermetic politics tend to center around some covenant or other taking advantage of the spring covenant (which must then be fought off politically) or about the spring covenant being offered bargains that they may well live to regret, be it resources they need in return for ther votes on a particular subject, or offers to support them politically against the 'big bully' in return for future favours - or more vis/tractatii than they really feel they can afford.

==== Summer ====

The Summer of a covenant's life can be by comparison introspective, or outward-turning. The most direct and pressing needs are taken care of. Magi can assume that day-to-day needs aren't going to require they personal exalted attention. Attention turns away from mere survival; some turn to self-discovery and personal growth, some to outward expansion.

On the one hand, you may for the first time have the leisure to realize that your fellow covenant member is a repulsive manipulative toad of a person, despite his fair exterior, and that while you needed him during spring, perhaps you are less than happy to spend the rest of your life within reach of his coils. Perhaps the difference is simply one of vision - how is this covenant supposed to be lead.

This is also the time for magi & covenants concerned with power to expand - Arts are still low enough that progress is fast, surplus typically exists to aquire new books or expand Vis in the creation of devices. Summer is often the time for grand projects: The short term shortages of Spring are in the past and the magi are expanding; the sky's the only limit in sight!

Typically this is when magi start taking apprentices and binding familiars - suddenly the covenant is full of individuals of significant mystical power, yet weaker than the main magi.

Of course not all magi will pursue raw power, but the surplus that make such studies possible also allow magi with other interests to pursue their fascinations. Perhaps the Jerbiton magus studies finesse for a few years in order to become a sculptor of the highest order? Perhaps the Trianomite starts visiting every covenant in the tribunal (or in the entire Order!) to find allies and tie the Order together?

==== Autumn ====

Summer cannot last, alas. Autumn is a sobering time for most magi. Arts and abilities are high enough that improving them take significant effort. The sky may well be the limit but it still feels awfully close!

The covenant is powerful enough that it has few direct enemies save for political rivals. Indeed many magi throw themselves into politics at this stage of life if not sooner.

Autumn agan focuses outwards but from very different reasons and indeed with different aims, compared to Spring.
Autumn knows survival is garanteed but only if those upstarts do not steal necessary resources!
Thus Autumn is moved to control and politcal maneuvering. Let young energetic magi deal with the problems - or atleast we can see what kinds of problems they are from how the young ones are beaten back!

Indeed many Autumn stories spring from fear. Fear of Death and fear of loss of control - the same thing to the mind of many autumn magi!

Many of the Spring plots return but seen from the other side of the coin - now Autumn must offer bad bargains to Spring to stave them off and keep as much power as possible!

Autumn is also the point where Longevity Rituals can be expected to start failing - something that can potentially cost huge amounts of Vis and even tip a character (or even a whole covenant!) into Winter.

=== Winter ===

Even Autumn cannot last and even Autumn will be missed by those beyond it.
Entering Winter means you've 'won'. Nothing the world has thrown at you have managed to kill you!
Yet Winter is a sad season. Winter means that loss outpaces gain.
In the winter every victory bears the tinge of loss.

Perhaps the Magi are too afraid of final Twilight to cast spells. Perhaps they are so obsessed with their projects to care about or even notice the loss of things around them.
Perhaps they are simply so mad that they do more harm to the covenant than good - intentionally or not.

Stories about young magi arriving at a winter covenant and trying to turn things around are only truely winter stories if they fail - if they succed it is a form of spring story!

== Time Period ==

Another use of the term is to depict a period of time in the game. Each Season, in this sense, usually proceeds from one solstice/equinox to the next, definign the traditional four astronomical seasons. Characters are advanced one season at a time, gaining experience and accomplishing deeds (and accruing decrepitude, aging, and so on).

However, this concept of Season is also taken to a more abstract level, to represent the amount of time someone devotes to a particular task. Thus, a peasant may have one free Season per year to do with as he pleases mechanically, but this doesn't mean that he genuianly takes the season off. Rather, it is meant to mechanically represent the peasant devoting time throughout the year to pursue his interests.

The Seasons are typically set according to the astrological, rather than climatic, periods in order to accomodate magi. Magi genuinly need to take the effect of the stars into consideration in their lab work, and so the astrological seasons are of greater significance than the agricultural ones in the game.

== References ==

*"Seasonal Characters" in [[Hermes Portal]] Issue 5
=== Legacy Page ===
The history of this page before August 6, 2010 is archived at [[Legacy:season]]

Covenant

2016-11-04T14:30:36Z

SteveS: /* A Typical Covenant */ Rearranged slightly, added Companions as part of the "typical covenant", suggested "atypicality" can vary widely.